I am a first generation Steely Dan fan. After all these years I am still blown away at how this music DOES NOT AGE - it still sounds brand new, edgy and yet sophisticated.
I am too. I think I was a sophomore in high school when Aja came out. There was a point when I was in high school when I had every lyric to every Steely Dan song memorized from Can't Buy a Thrill to Aja. I was one of those kids who would lay on my back with a stereo speaker on both sides of my head, and listen to music, including every Steely Dan album. Aja is my desert island album.
Saw the title, said to myself, "Something by Steely Dan, probably. Which song?" The opening for Josie starts playing in my head. I start to play the video. I feel good.
Rick is an enthusiast. He's the ultimate rock music nerd, clearly having the time of his life breaking down his passion into bite-sized morsels for the masses :D
For as old as this song is (45yrs), you'd think that this was the very first time Rick has ever heard it. Steely Dan was a one-in-a-lifetime band with some of the greatest players ever through the line up over the years. Still sounds fresh like the first time you heard it, this is timeless music that belongs in the National Archive to be saved for all time
Steely Dan are truly one-of-a-kind. No other band could've written something like Josie. The entire Aja album is phenomenal. Peg, Josie and Deacon Blues are especially killer. 👌
And about 25 or more from their back catalogue (nearly all of Gaucho for example), not to mention huge chunks of the Don Fagen catalogue. That's how good they were and are (Mr Becker RIP). 👌
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the staggering musical proficiency regularly demonstrated by Rick Beato? We listen to and love some of the most virtuso playing in the history of music which in many cases - as 'lesser' players - many of us have consigned to the 'too difficult' file - and Rick plays them all, easily as well as the originals. Awesome!!
Steely Dan songs are good enough that you can loop any one for hours and keep finding new nuances to appreciate. I’m saying “whoa!!!” in my head constantly to these songs.
Out of all the Steely Dan Album releases, Aja is my all-time favorite. Not a bad song in the whole Album. So it is hard to pick a favorite off of it. "Josie " is easily a classic.
I thought this was going to be about "Hocus Pocus" by Focus, but then I remembered that the intro to that song was pretty much the only non-weird part.
Rick, just found this one. Has to be one of your very best. Man, that's a great song and your analysis and passion take it to another unexpected level.
As like the biggest Steely Dan fan I can’t even describe how happy i am that you are spreading the word about how great the Dan are. More people need to know about the genius of this one of a kind band.
Total geniuses. They were like what Lennon/McCartney would have been, if they had gone to jazz school. However they were more like a duo than a band, since all those legendary session guys they used weren't band members.
The Dan were totally musicians music with pop sensibilities. Here we are 45 years later still talking about them- Yes, there were Pros before Protools ;)
@@cozmicpfunk To me they were a fantastic jazz band, and Donald Fagen one of the greatest jazz vocalists, that were just killing it on the pop charts. Their songs are timeless.
I like how your discussion of Josie's intro morphed into a whole WMTSG segment. Also, I really dig the new format of showing the chords like a lead sheet along the bottom of the screen. It helps me better understand what's going on. Great video, as always!
When this song was released I had been, for some years, playing in a country music club 5 nights a week making a living doing the hits and standards. But we (the band I was in ) were all 60's blues rock kids. As a challenge to myself I figured out the intro, and as a goof we used it as an intro for, "Your Cheatin' Heart", also "Good Hearted Woman", you can actually intro almost any song with it, the farther from the key the song will be in the wackier it sounds. When you play the same club 5 nights a week, every week for years, you gotta have some fun with the music. We also played nuthin' but the blues and related rock for our 5th set most nights, the country cats dug it. You should've seen those cow kids try to dance like Summer of Love Hippies when we'd play "Purple Haze". Those were the good old days when one weeks pay took care of rent and bills. Great video, as always rick.
Sounds like you were on a mission from God. Elwood: What kind of music do you usually have here? Claire: Oh, we got both kinds. We got country *and* western.
@@squirlmy LOL. You still see that at lots of clubs, lots of times I"ve seen people bored to tears with the same melody. The BEST country music we have here in Atlantic Canada is a local acadian station that mostly plays french country, and it is really wild stuff almost all the time. And its about the most popular radio station around here.
I heard a band cover Steely Dan at a wedding of all places and believe me when I say that they were FANTASTIC. That was 40 years ago and my jaw dropped open because they did Dan perfectly without flaw. UNBELIEVABLE!!
The best part of this is how much fun Rick is having. He's so into it and so uninhibited in his love for the music that you can't help but get swept up into it along with him.
Rick.. I love how you break down something that has always sounded so damn cool but do so in a way that makes sense to us 'non-educated' music fans yet provides affirmation of why it's cool.
Call it weird, but that is the most epic intro I have ever heard in any song....and then the bass line kicks in...that's when you know the masters are at work. The whole album is a masterpiece.
As a kid, I remember grabbing my dad's Aja album because I knew it had Peg on it. I had heard it on the radio many times and it became one of the 1st tunes I ever learned on bass. As I listened to the album all the way through, I was just floored. As if all that great music wasn't enough, my ears pricked up even more when Josie started. By the end of the album, I was just a kid that stood there stunned. Of course, this instantly started my deep love for the band and I went through their entire catalog. There's nothing else like Steely Dan. The sound, the artistry, the sheer talent. The best of the best for each individual track. It opened my young eyes and ears to the session musician. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS ISN'T THE SAME GUYS ON EACH TRACK? You mean this is the vision of only 2 guys & they got the best guys to play on individual tracks? Yep. If it wasn't for Steely Dan, I'd probably never know about the Purdie Shuffle or guys like Steve Gadd, Larry Carlton, Chuck Rainey, Danny Diaz, etc. I'll always love the music of Walter and Donald, because it opened me up to so much.
Rick looks like a kid in the “candy-chord” store! And I know exactly how he feels because I felt the same way the first time I heard Josie, and still love it today. Steely Dan produced some of the most pristine and musically diverse music ever recorded. IMHO!👍
@@cooldebt Exactly, couldn't have said it any better. I'm only a few short years younger than Rick, and have had some similar musical experiences. Watching these videos brings all of that back, and to have his professional insight into the songs has just taught me so much.
Steely has always blown me away at their musicianship and writing strategies. I don't know theory or a whole lot else, but I know complex and different when I hear it.
They would bring in lots of studio musicians and ask them to contribute and would rotate them and replace them even mid song. This is why their songs are so diverse and dynamic and it is wonderful.
Steely dan is one of the most creative bands of all time. I mean that whole Aja record is just absolute perfection. Some of the most beautiful chord changes I've ever heard are on that record.
Many years ago, I stumbled upon Steely Dan, almost by accident. I needed one more pick for one of those "10 for a penny" deals, from Columbia House. Aja was the one, and it started me down the Steely Dan rabbit hole. Incredible album, from an incredible "band". Saw them live several times over the years, and was never disappointed. Long live the Dan!
The first F#5 chord absolutely relates. It's called "contrary motion." The E steps up to F# and the D steps down to C#. The minor 7th shrinks to a 5th. Very exotic.
I have next to no knowledge, I can't read music at all, but listening to Aja for a few decades now, I knew Rick couldn't be right when he said it. I was looking through these comments to find a correction like yours.
the next section with the three powerchords D#5,B5 and D5 sound even weirder to me. Shure it relates back to E minor in a way, but the way it's played sounds so strange to me (in an awesome way!) Not to mention the chromatic line and last four crazy chords. Could one call it a turnaround of sorts? I have some knowledge of theory, but there are some things about this song that stumps me. Curious to hear your thoughts.
Donald Fagen did a whole video about piano technique using his tunes, and he spent a good 15 minutes with Warren Bernhardt talking about Josie, and he never explained that part of the intro
As a 66-year old guy who *grew up* in the 70's I can relate to what you're saying. BUT, trust me, we had plenty of musical flotsam floating around in those days too. For me, Steely Dan represents all that was good in that decade, without the distraction of that which was less so (and there was plenty). Steve
@@shapshooter7769 their attitude towards players was that they must be chosen as they fit the part, much like the instrumentation of the song. The players, much like instruments can be great, but they may not fit the song as well as another option.
@@shapshooter7769 It still speaks volumes that Becker had no problem stepping aside as Graydon had a better feel for what the song needed. And by doing that upheld the Steely Dan standard. Becker checks his ego at the door.
Took me a month of rehearsal and home practice to figure out the Chuck Rainey bass part in Josie. But OMG when we got it, it killed. It became one of our encores. One of those we could all take an eight bar solo and have a blast.
I hear ya! I had to approach this like I was a teenager with all the time in the world to learn one song, just like I did back in the 80's. The other song that hung me up pretty good was "Birdland" by Weather Report. I had to play that one at 17 in high school jazz band. I spent months on that. No, it wasn't perfect!
@@legman1476 I saw WR w/ Jaco play Birdland when he would throw down baby powder and slide around the stage while playing his parts a lot faster than the recording. Yeah, his reputation was well earned.
@@Ben_Crido why does everybody talk about Jaco? There is always KISS...oh. Nevermind. We have been so fortunate to see and hear Jaco as he changed bass guitar. Reputation well earned.
Walter Becker was an underrated guitar player. He was overshadowed due to the fact that The Dan hired so many fab session players to play on their records. Also, Walter was a terrific bass player. He actually came up with a lot of Chuck Rainey's bass part for Josie. His bass playing on Green Book, an underrated cut from The Dan's last album, Everything Must Go, is really quite something.
Another great analysis, Rick. I’ve always said that Steely Dan (Becker/Fagan), are quite literally their own “genre”. Amazingly complex, yet accessible to the general public. Brilliant in every regard!
Polyphonic, another fantastic music analysis channel, contends that Steely Dan isn't really a band but an "anesthetic". I encourage anybody who's never heard of Polyphonic to go check it out. He delves into the poetry of music, while Rick focuses on mechanics.
“It doesn’t really relate … it just sounds cool.”😁 We need more of that in today’s music! You do not hear enough (because you couldn’t) what a terrific player/musician you are! You are! Thank you for sharing. Cheers! Fabulous teacher as well…
except, as JVRaines points out: The first F#5 chord absolutely relates. It's called "contrary motion." The E steps up to F# and the D steps down to C#. The minor 7th shrinks to a 5th. As much as Rick knows and has experienced, music always goes further and deeper
I’d argue more music is being made that way today, with music production being so accessible to those with little to no music background. You just don’t hear it with these jazzy extended chord’s usually
The jazzy piano intro to Chicago's "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" is another weird one, but over time you NEED to hear it before the "main song" or it sounds incomplete.
It may be weird, Rick, but it also creates this dark and moody feel with those intro chords. The song about the homecoming queen, Josie, gives to me the image of a gang of youths at night welcoming her back into the fold. Such superb musicianship by all players and very distinctive and a good memory of Walter's ability on guitar. Thank you Rick for your critique.
Thats even moreso the case now, the main difference is you have to go looking on the internet, because you won't hear it on the radio. It should be illegal how radio is run, good lord, not only is it the same bands over and over, its the same SONGS over and over.
Regarding "OHHHHHHHH!!!!!", I heartily concur! Played the intro on an acoustic guitar I was checking out at a small music store - the owner kinda freaked and gave me a case for free just for that! :-D True story. I figured out a way to play it in first position including the root notes (such as on the polychords, fingering a D major shape while playing the bass note on the 6th string) - also, just where IS that drum fill at the end?!?! Been counting it for decades, Keltner is the mysterious wizard of time....Wonderful video!!!!!!
I'm pretty sure one of the fills is a partial quarter note triplet over beats three and four and the other is a slight ritardando leading to a slight fermata or ceasura then cymbal crash on four and "a tempo," back into the head, like Keltner just held back the rhythm section for effect, then boom, right back into the groove. Man, it was great when great players actually played the parts with no click track.
Love the breakdown and the enthusiasm for Steely Dan. To the average stooge they might say its elevator music, when in fact it is a complex music masterpiece.
I humbly accept my stooge status. I'm not really fond of that whole modern urban yuppie jazz thing. It would put me to sleep if I wasn't too stressed trying to tune it out. I was born in the 70s and love some of the music but there's a certain genre from it I just can't stand and they're part of it. I dunno what it's called but the Doobie Bros had a similar thing going on. I'm sure there's great musicianship there and all but it just doesn't send me. Actual elevator music is arguably worse but still. Dozens of mellow songs for aging Boomers to sell out to, that all sound the same... like Sunday afternoons at the wood-paneled college library waiting for your parents while they have dull conversations over microfiche.. Just a suggestion, though... maybe don't throw everyone who doesn't like what you like into the same pit together. Just because something is well crafted doesn't mean it has to have universal appeal. I don't call names every time someone doesn't love They Might Be Giants.
Newly retired when the pandemic hit, I knew I would be spending a lot of time at home, so I bought a kit and resumed drumming after 35 years. I needed a clear barometer of improvement, so I just started playing along with Steely Dan albums. I have played almost every day for nearly two years and am only now getting to the point at which I think I have a decent handle on their catalog.
Funny, we never thought the music was weird...it was just new and nuanced. Steely Dan's Aja allowed vivid dreams to enter your thoughts; Aja transported the listener to different places. Truly a masterpiece.
I have always LOVED Keltner's drums on this tune. To call it "tight" is almost an understatement. Nothing superfluous, not flashy... just the perfect groove. This is one of those tracks I will never-ever-ever get tired of.
Great song, yet I prefer the take on the live album with the GREAT Dennis Chambers on drums, it's slower with a really FAT Rhythm's Blues's vibe, it was supposed to be a Rhythm'n Blues's song anyway.
Every time SD comes on, I geek out in a similar manner, without any technical musical knowledge. So glad Rick is able to explain WHY I find SD so satisfying. Fagen and Becker are pure genius.
Rick! We need more "what makes this song great" videos, i really love your take on those songs and use those elements in my songs, really helps me with making music
This is my "go to" reference song for any new speakers, IEM's, or even if I move speakers. Love it as a song, but the recording is top notch, clarity, sound stage, everything is excellent. Those horns rise up from silence so well.
I would use the intro to Boz Scaggs' "Lowdown" as a reference for my sound system, listening particularly Jeff Porcaro's drum kit which was so well mixed. Steely Dan's records in addition to the superb musicianship and writing were very well produced. Of course Aja was one of my favorites. Every song sparkled like a jewel.
So, this was the last track on Aja and probably the most overlooked (we all know about the perfection of the whole album). Yet, this song beats the snot out of any top 10 pop song today musically. Structure, complexity, originality, interesting, musicianship. Just stellar.
Rick, sometimes your musical abilities just crack me up. It's probably that it's so amazing I don't know how else to react. When you play the intro to Josie perfectly on guitar, and then end the intro by playing the little keyboard lick perfectly, my ears hear you making the exact right sounds, and my eyes can't fathom that you're just one guy. So I have to laugh, and then tell you about it. So good it's hilarious.
I have always loved this song but the intro always felt a little uncomfortable to me until it slid into the smooth vibe of the song and I never knew why. Listening to you break it down solved that mystery for me. I really loved this segment today, Rick. Thank you.
Being a Brazilian musician, I don't find this intro weird at all, lol...great song, great groove, great feel, and Rick is a joy to watch! Keep up the good work my friend. We love you and today's musicians in the work need you!!!
The intro might be weird/unique musically, but I love it; Weird is in the ear of the beholder. Lol. I remember playing an old song around some friends. "Green Eyed Lady". I believe a song way ahead of it's time. One friend thought it was a "weird song". Not to my ear. In fact , just heard it again by Sugarloaf. It deserves to be in one of Ricks "What makes this song great" videos
Maybe it only sounds weird to peole who have deep music theory knowledge. For me, a music theory scrub, the intro sounds like it was supposed to sound like that
That track is class and I am going to have to get the boxed set of Donald Fagen albums on Vinyl and DVD as the album must sound great on a DTS system set to Neo.6:Music.
I swear that’s one of my favorite solos EVER! Walter absolutely showed he was just as good as Larry and Dean and was a master of economic playing and touch and feel.
Amazing song from an amazing Album album! Aja is the album that cemented my love of Steely Dan. That was back in the day when late-night DJ's would play entire albums. As soon as I heard Aja I rushed out the next day to get my own copy. I think this might be a record for the number of times Rick goes "Oh!" in one video. 🤣
That's so great and funny see Rick Beato shouting "WOW" 🤣🤣🤣 on the best parts of the song... He really feels and have pleasure earing the notes and pauses lol... 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
This is one of my all time favorite tunes. I was in a Guitar Center auditioning a Martin D-28 acoustic dreadnought guitar under the ever watchful eye of a store employee. When he handed me the guitar I went straight into the intro and vamp of this song. The quizzical look on his face was priceless. He only knew me as a drummer, which made it doubly confusing for him.
Did you take it home? My one creative foray in woodworking was making a D-28 replica following Lynn Dudenbostel's 4-episode process on the DIY Network. 15 years later and it's hanging on the wall 6 feet from me right now.
@@MikesTropicalTech YES! I did buy the guitar. I love it. If I’m not playing it, I’m anxiously anticipating the moment I’m playing it again. Thankfully my wife plays as well, and we live in an area where people gather to play acoustic instruments almost every day. Music has been the foundation of our social life, Rick Beato has been an inspiration who has greatly expanded my abilities - not unlike a fine musical instrument.
there are so many elements to a steely dan song that the backing vocals are often overlooked. i think most people know/can recognize michael mcdonald on his tunes and "the ladies" (leonhart, russell, mizelle) deservedly get the most props on theirs, but i think it's worth noting that timothy b. schmit is featured on this one!
After all these years I still get goose bumps when I hear this song. Steely Dan is like lightning in a bottle! As per usual, you hit the nail on the head with your choice of music. Rock on!
Rick, your pure enjoyment of music is a joy to watch. There are more killer chords in this old song than the entire 2023 pop40 list. They don’t write them like that anymore.
That whole album is one of Steely Dan's towering achievements A true masterpiece Sure Peg is neato & Josie is groovy, but I wanna learn to work the saxophone & play just how I feel then drink Scotch whiskey all night long & die behind the wheel... Naw, but yeah I'm 2 years 3 days sober. One foot after the next... Josie comes home
The F-sharp 5th sounds good not because of harmony or key or "chords", but because it is a resolution of the opening dissonance by stepwise contrary motion, the oldest method of dissonance treatment in the proverbial book. It's a matter of voice leading, of counterpoint, not of the labeling of "chords".
@@richardcarroll9864 HE'S old? I first listened to this one in a van, on the road, doing the old Holiday Inn circuit back when you could make a pretty good living. Blew us away, of course. We ended up doing "Josie", "Charlemagne", a couple other Dan-isms. Almost made it worth dragging the KB Player's B3 around the Midwest for a few years. Ahh, the 70s....
Nice. I was in a Steely Dan tribute band, so this brought back memories. Learning those Dan riffs, chords and solos has been the highlight of my musical life.
What could possibly be better than The Dan? How about Ricks enthusiasm, knowledge and skill pulling their songs apart. Just love watching these, it creates a whole new level of appreciation. Rick, can you get your forensics on to the very first chord in Only a Fool Would Say That.... it's genius.
Hey Rick! At10:10, don't forget about Keltner's overdubbed garbage can lid. They talk about it in the Aja documentary. It really makes that funky little section pop! As always, great video!
You always have a way of making songs better. I watch you play so many songs that I grew up liking and loving but after you break them down I appreciate them so much more. Thank you for all the work that you put into this. It really does make a difference for I'm sure a lot of us!!
Yesterday we lost one of our greatest Polish jazz sax players and one of the godfathers of Polish jazz - Zbigniew Namysłowski. He was 82. It would be great if you'll take some time and listen to his records. Btw. Josie is my favourite Steely Dan song. Keltner's drums are really killer.
What can I say, Steely Dan and Toto one of my favorites of all time. Not only what they're playing is unbelievable and complex but it's also the mastery of each musician and they way these songs were recorded and mixed and mastered. Just incredible sound and vibe throughout the whole Aja album. All these things came together to give us the excellence of what we just heard. I love it!
@@fredshred5194 I'm not one of those people that try to figure out labels and categorize bands and artists to see in what box they fit in. I listen and if I like what I hear I buy the album, that's it. Hence why I have every single Toto and Steely Dan album among hundreds of others artists.
@@fredshred5194 But you're assuming that just cause you don't like them they're not any good. I personally haven't found too many musicians that don't like Toto in the last 30 years. No laws when it comes to taste...
Probably my favourite SD song. As for the weird intro, think Donald Fagan said in an interview this was influenced by Gregorian music and the verses are variations on the 12 bar blues.
I KNEW it was Josie.. I've always been taken by that seemingly discordant intro vamp. This track still slaps all these decades later. Love your analysis as always Rick.
I love how this turned into a "What Makes This Song Great" video… would also like to hear Rick talk about the "mu major" chord (those slash chords are pretty similar).
Steely Dan is my drug of choice! I just adore watching you excavate the gold in these songs Rick. I'm not musical, I can't play anything but these videos sure make me wish I could. Your joy in these songs is infectious even for those of us can't read one musical note xxxx
This now rates as my favorite RB reaction to a song. I love how much fun you are having. The way you share your love of music, unfettered, is what has always drawn me to this channel.
I've never been a big fan of Steely Dan, but I've always recognized that they are a superb group of really excellent musicians. But your enthusiasm and analysis has made me appreciate this song a lot more.
I knew the vultures would start to circle the second you said you've never been a big fan of Steely Dan. Calm down, folks. Rick is already heaping praise on your favorite, you can be gracious and accept that not everyone who doesn't like Steely Dan is some kind of devil. Cher indeed. Ugh. Me, I can't stand Steely Dan or Cher. Shockingly, there are a lot of other kinds of music.
This is why I love Steely Dan. Their music is so thought provoking and complex. I actually thought you were going to play something like Blinded Me With Science. Not the least bit surprised that a Steely Dan song is being taught at Berklee.
"OHHHH!!" 😄loving Rick's enthusiasm pouring out for this track! I have no idea about the technicalities of the music (well, a lot more now...), but I've always enjoyed listening to Steely Dan too!
This tune blew my mind when I first heard it back when I was a kid, growing up in rural NH. I remember thinking, "man, those are some wised-up cosmopolitan city slicker chords!"
Actually Walter was the more sardonic of the two. The very thing that you don't really find in The Nightfly. Donald ipmlied after Walter's death that came from a hard childhood.
I am a first generation Steely Dan fan. After all these years I am still blown away at how this music DOES NOT AGE - it still sounds brand new, edgy and yet sophisticated.
Agree, just like the Beatles, gets better with age.
😂
Agree 👍 💯
Quality and originality never gets old
I am too. I think I was a sophomore in high school when Aja came out. There was a point when I was in high school when I had every lyric to every Steely Dan song memorized from Can't Buy a Thrill to Aja. I was one of those kids who would lay on my back with a stereo speaker on both sides of my head, and listen to music, including every Steely Dan album. Aja is my desert island album.
Love how rick is playing air guitar whilst holding an actual guitar.
Lol
lol true
The radio needs to have an edition of this song with Rick's "OH!!!" added in. 😁
Ha. That'd be awesome.
Rick going full italian there
Saw the title, said to myself, "Something by Steely Dan, probably. Which song?" The opening for Josie starts playing in my head. I start to play the video. I feel good.
I thought the same thing. Got to be a song by Steely Dan.
“It just sounds cool” - Steely Dan, in a nutshell.
Thank you! Well said! That's my opinion on Steely Dan as well. I don't know why I love it...but I love it!
So true. Let's not neglect the part Donald Fagen's vocal plays in that. The way he sings "Throw down the jams" just exudes coolness.
Spot on, I confess I've never found the intro 'weird', to me it's just another cool Dan thing. I love the way Rick breaks stuff down though.
We always felt so much more sophisticated when Steely Dan was dropped on the record player.
it's so rich (npi) understanding how much craft and genius goes into "sounds cool.
As a kid this song painted such a picture for me in my mind. It was mysterious, dangerous, and exciting, and who the hell was this Josie.
“Before Pro Tools, there were pros.” Great line.
Who wouldve thought I'd find ward here
Straight savage.
I was a DT3 stationed at NAF Detroit.when this tune came out
Sooooo right !
I love the story about Bernard Purdie putting up a sign next to his kit that said, “You done hired the HIT MAKER!” ;)
Hard to tell which I like more: the song, Rick's breakdown of the song, or just watching Rick enjoying the song. GREAT SEGMENT, RICK!
I could just watch Rick enjoying the song all day long!
Rick is an enthusiast. He's the ultimate rock music nerd, clearly having the time of his life breaking down his passion into bite-sized morsels for the masses :D
Doing more "OOOOWH"s than the Andrew Dice Clay loop of EMF's "Unbelievable"!
So true! Rick's joy is infectious
@@mrz80 ric beato is the man who knows all the chords best. No chord escapes him. He's simply amazing.
For as old as this song is (45yrs), you'd think that this was the very first time Rick has ever heard it. Steely Dan was a one-in-a-lifetime band with some of the greatest players ever through the line up over the years. Still sounds fresh like the first time you heard it, this is timeless music that belongs in the National Archive to be saved for all time
Hear-Hear!!
Steely Dan are truly one-of-a-kind. No other band could've written something like Josie. The entire Aja album is phenomenal. Peg, Josie and Deacon Blues are especially killer. 👌
👏👊👍
I love Chuck Rainey's bassline on Peg. So much fun to play!
And --- King of the World, FM........ :)
And about 25 or more from their back catalogue (nearly all of Gaucho for example), not to mention huge chunks of the Don Fagen catalogue. That's how good they were and are (Mr Becker RIP). 👌
Aja is the greatest SD song by far
Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the staggering musical proficiency regularly demonstrated by Rick Beato? We listen to and love some of the most virtuso playing in the history of music which in many cases - as 'lesser' players - many of us have consigned to the 'too difficult' file - and Rick plays them all, easily as well as the originals. Awesome!!
Hear, hear! Well said.
Totally agree 💯
The man is a national treasure, at this point.
Amen, brother
@@frankhenderson7656 better order his book frank!
Steely Dan songs are good enough that you can loop any one for hours and keep finding new nuances to appreciate. I’m saying “whoa!!!” in my head constantly to these songs.
Rick, as always your enthusiasm is great to behold and your joy is infectious. Made my day.
Wouldn't it be great to drive around listening to the radio with Rick, and a song like Josie would come on.
yeah every surprise-face and "OH!!" just makes ya smile!!
Totally!
Out of all the Steely Dan Album releases, Aja is my all-time favorite. Not a bad song in the whole Album. So it is hard to pick a favorite off of it. "Josie " is easily a classic.
That was so enjoyable! It made me smile. Thank you Rick!
I thought this was going to be about "Hocus Pocus" by Focus, but then I remembered that the intro to that song was pretty much the only non-weird part.
Their performance of that on Midnight Special (found on youtube) is so fuckin good. It was sped up like 2x because they had to finish for time.
Damn you! Now I've got that freaky-deaky Dutchman in my head.
We want a what makes this song great on this, rick
Love that song
😉👍Yoidala-Yoidala Yom Pam Pam 🤩
Rick, just found this one. Has to be one of your very best. Man, that's a great song and your analysis and passion take it to another unexpected level.
As like the biggest Steely Dan fan I can’t even describe how happy i am that you are spreading the word about how great the Dan are. More people need to know about the genius of this one of a kind band.
One of the best ever. Giants.
Total geniuses. They were like what Lennon/McCartney would have been, if they had gone to jazz school. However they were more like a duo than a band, since all those legendary session guys they used weren't band members.
The Dan were totally musicians music with pop sensibilities. Here we are 45 years later still talking about them- Yes, there were Pros before Protools ;)
Unparalleled to this day.
@@cozmicpfunk To me they were a fantastic jazz band, and Donald Fagen one of the greatest jazz vocalists, that were just killing it on the pop charts. Their songs are timeless.
I like how your discussion of Josie's intro morphed into a whole WMTSG segment. Also, I really dig the new format of showing the chords like a lead sheet along the bottom of the screen. It helps me better understand what's going on. Great video, as always!
If it hadn't have been for the chords displayed at the bottom I'd have been completely lost right after "Hi. I'm Rick Beato".
I love the written chords too (not that I can play like that…yet!)
When this song was released I had been, for some years, playing in a country music club 5 nights a week making a living doing the hits and standards. But we (the band I was in ) were all 60's blues rock kids. As a challenge to myself I figured out the intro, and as a goof we used it as an intro for, "Your Cheatin' Heart", also "Good Hearted Woman", you can actually intro almost any song with it, the farther from the key the song will be in the wackier it sounds. When you play the same club 5 nights a week, every week for years, you gotta have some fun with the music. We also played nuthin' but the blues and related rock for our 5th set most nights, the country cats dug it. You should've seen those cow kids try to dance like Summer of Love Hippies when we'd play "Purple Haze". Those were the good old days when one weeks pay took care of rent and bills. Great video, as always rick.
Sounds like you were on a mission from God. Elwood: What kind of music do you usually have here? Claire: Oh, we got both kinds. We got country *and* western.
@@squirlmy LOL. You still see that at lots of clubs, lots of times I"ve seen people bored to tears with the same melody. The BEST country music we have here in Atlantic Canada is a local acadian station that mostly plays french country, and it is really wild stuff almost all the time. And its about the most popular radio station around here.
Bless you all. I love your comments & ideas.
I heard a band cover Steely Dan at a wedding of all places and believe me when I say that they were FANTASTIC. That was 40 years ago and my jaw dropped open because they did Dan perfectly without flaw. UNBELIEVABLE!!
The best part of this is how much fun Rick is having. He's so into it and so uninhibited in his love for the music that you can't help but get swept up into it along with him.
@@skierpage He was definitely entering Andrew Dice Clay territory there.
I was just thinking that myself. He's having so much fun with this song!
Rick.. I love how you break down something that has always sounded so damn cool but do so in a way that makes sense to us 'non-educated' music fans yet provides affirmation of why it's cool.
Call it weird, but that is the most epic intro I have ever heard in any song....and then the bass line kicks in...that's when you know the masters are at work.
The whole album is a masterpiece.
As a kid, I remember grabbing my dad's Aja album because I knew it had Peg on it. I had heard it on the radio many times and it became one of the 1st tunes I ever learned on bass. As I listened to the album all the way through, I was just floored. As if all that great music wasn't enough, my ears pricked up even more when Josie started. By the end of the album, I was just a kid that stood there stunned. Of course, this instantly started my deep love for the band and I went through their entire catalog. There's nothing else like Steely Dan. The sound, the artistry, the sheer talent. The best of the best for each individual track. It opened my young eyes and ears to the session musician. WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS ISN'T THE SAME GUYS ON EACH TRACK? You mean this is the vision of only 2 guys & they got the best guys to play on individual tracks? Yep. If it wasn't for Steely Dan, I'd probably never know about the Purdie Shuffle or guys like Steve Gadd, Larry Carlton, Chuck Rainey, Danny Diaz, etc. I'll always love the music of Walter and Donald, because it opened me up to so much.
Rick looks like a kid in the “candy-chord” store! And I know exactly how he feels because I felt the same way the first time I heard Josie, and still love it today. Steely Dan produced some of the most pristine and musically diverse music ever recorded. IMHO!👍
@@sillysausage4549 so, what interests you?
^So sad for you
this song feels a lot like FM, especially the string pads... great breakdown. "Before Protools.... there were Pros..." best smile of the day! :-)
Best giggle!
I absolutely love watching Rick teach these classic songs. His passion and enthusiasm are contagious!
Me too. A mix of nostalgia and light bulb moments 🙂
@@cooldebt Exactly, couldn't have said it any better. I'm only a few short years younger than Rick, and have had some similar musical experiences. Watching these videos brings all of that back, and to have his professional insight into the songs has just taught me so much.
I can watch his breakdowns all day long. I love how he geeks out on the good parts. He totally gets how music reaches you.
I just wish I knew music theory as well as he does, but I thoroughly enjoy it anyway
I listen to the song and think it's pretty good. But then Rick reveals the magic in the song. Ooooh!!!! :)
Steely has always blown me away at their musicianship and writing strategies. I don't know theory or a whole lot else, but I know complex and different when I hear it.
never tire of them and i've listened avidly for over 40 years,.
Totally agree!
They would bring in lots of studio musicians and ask them to contribute and would rotate them and replace them even mid song. This is why their songs are so diverse and dynamic and it is wonderful.
I totally agree with all of you. I admire & respect Steely Dan so much.
Steely dan is one of the most creative bands of all time. I mean that whole Aja record is just absolute perfection. Some of the most beautiful chord changes I've ever heard are on that record.
Many years ago, I stumbled upon Steely Dan, almost by accident. I needed one more pick for one of those "10 for a penny" deals, from Columbia House. Aja was the one, and it started me down the Steely Dan rabbit hole. Incredible album, from an incredible "band". Saw them live several times over the years, and was never disappointed. Long live the Dan!
I was the guy that filled your order at the warehouse! Crappiest job I ever had! 😂)
The first F#5 chord absolutely relates. It's called "contrary motion." The E steps up to F# and the D steps down to C#. The minor 7th shrinks to a 5th. Very exotic.
I have next to no knowledge, I can't read music at all, but listening to Aja for a few decades now, I knew Rick couldn't be right when he said it. I was looking through these comments to find a correction like yours.
the next section with the three powerchords D#5,B5 and D5 sound even weirder to me. Shure it relates back to E minor in a way, but the way it's played sounds so strange to me (in an awesome way!)
Not to mention the chromatic line and last four crazy chords. Could one call it a turnaround of sorts?
I have some knowledge of theory, but there are some things about this song that stumps me. Curious to hear your thoughts.
Donald Fagen did a whole video about piano technique using his tunes, and he spent a good 15 minutes with Warren Bernhardt talking about Josie, and he never explained that part of the intro
The 70's had such cool chord voicings. As a child of the 90's and a huge metalhead, I wish we had more of these "expensive" chords in today's music.
relax mate life is like a cycle, sometimes it's bad on others it's good... sometimes music uses expensive chords on others don't...
@@monarcas5502 fucking Plato
Sorry, no market for clever stuff!
As a 66-year old guy who *grew up* in the 70's I can relate to what you're saying. BUT, trust me, we had plenty of musical flotsam floating around in those days too. For me, Steely Dan represents all that was good in that decade, without the distraction of that which was less so (and there was plenty).
Steve
@@kitemanmusic Are you telling me "my hump, my hump, my lovely lady lumps" isn't intellectually satisfying?
Walter Becker was one of the most intelligent guitarists ever. So smooth and right in the pocket. Gone too soon Love that you recognised this intro!!
Nope, not by Steely Dan standards. Otherwise Becker might have nailed the Peg solo better ;P
(They went with Jay Graydon's solo)
@@shapshooter7769 their attitude towards players was that they must be chosen as they fit the part, much like the instrumentation of the song. The players, much like instruments can be great, but they may not fit the song as well as another option.
Great solo on "FM", too
@@shapshooter7769 It still speaks volumes that Becker had no problem stepping aside as Graydon had a better feel for what the song needed. And by doing that upheld the Steely Dan standard. Becker checks his ego at the door.
You're killing me Larry, Larry Carlton that is.
Steely Dan could do no wrong for me in the 70's, and Aja was such a breath of fresh air!
Awesome choice! Steely Dan is just incredible.
Love that "Before Pro Tools there where pro's" :) lol Always loved Steeley Dan's albums and like you said some the best musician's on the planet.
Best part of these songs is Rick breaking the songs down and acting like a teenager groovin' to them. Great entertainment value. Love it
Took me a month of rehearsal and home practice to figure out the Chuck Rainey bass part in Josie. But OMG when we got it, it killed. It became one of our encores. One of those we could all take an eight bar solo and have a blast.
This is just one of those tracks everyone in the band can have a go at it and do their own fun thing and just keep it going and going
I hear ya! I had to approach this like I was a teenager with all the time in the world to learn one song, just like I did back in the 80's. The other song that hung me up pretty good was "Birdland" by Weather Report. I had to play that one at 17 in high school jazz band. I spent months on that. No, it wasn't perfect!
@@legman1476 I saw WR w/ Jaco play Birdland when he would throw down baby powder and slide around the stage while playing his parts a lot faster than the recording. Yeah, his reputation was well earned.
@@Ben_Crido why does everybody talk about Jaco? There is always KISS...oh. Nevermind. We have been so fortunate to see and hear Jaco as he changed bass guitar. Reputation well earned.
Me too
“Before Pro Tools, there were pros”
One of the best Beato quotes I’ve heard!
right
It was the best laugh I had all day.
That one cracked me up!
Walter Becker was an underrated guitar player. He was overshadowed due to the fact that The Dan hired so many fab session players to play on their records. Also, Walter was a terrific bass player. He actually came up with a lot of Chuck Rainey's bass part for Josie. His bass playing on Green Book, an underrated cut from The Dan's last album, Everything Must Go, is really quite something.
Becker was key and dedicated to the greater whole of musical creation.
Pretty sure this was dean parks
Wow, so cool. I agree with you!
I love Rick’s love and passion for music. He has truly earned his place in the pantheon
Another great analysis, Rick. I’ve always said that Steely Dan (Becker/Fagan), are quite literally their own “genre”. Amazingly complex, yet accessible to the general public. Brilliant in every regard!
Like Mozart. 💯
No one else sounds even remotely like them.
Pop music was truly creative back then. Now I think we were so lucky to have that come out of car and bedside radios every day.
Polyphonic, another fantastic music analysis channel, contends that Steely Dan isn't really a band but an "anesthetic". I encourage anybody who's never heard of Polyphonic to go check it out. He delves into the poetry of music, while Rick focuses on mechanics.
I once heard "Reeling in the Years" playing in my local supermarket! I was surprised!
“It doesn’t really relate … it just sounds cool.”😁 We need more of that in today’s music!
You do not hear enough (because you couldn’t) what a terrific player/musician you are! You are! Thank you for sharing. Cheers! Fabulous teacher as well…
except, as JVRaines points out: The first F#5 chord absolutely relates. It's called "contrary motion." The E steps up to F# and the D steps down to C#. The minor 7th shrinks to a 5th. As much as Rick knows and has experienced, music always goes further and deeper
I’d argue more music is being made that way today, with music production being so accessible to those with little to no music background. You just don’t hear it with these jazzy extended chord’s usually
The jazzy piano intro to Chicago's "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" is another weird one, but over time you NEED to hear it before the "main song" or it sounds incomplete.
Same with the Live at Carnegie Hall intro to Make Me Smile. 🔥
I noticed in the 80s when Chicago played it live, they left out the 5/4 section of that piano intro. I agree with you....it's gotta be in there!
Exactamundo
Chicago - Make Me Smile. Really weird intro.
It may be weird, Rick, but it also creates this dark and moody feel with those intro chords. The song about the homecoming queen, Josie, gives to me the image of a gang of youths at night welcoming her back into the fold. Such superb musicianship by all players and very distinctive and a good memory of Walter's ability on guitar. Thank you Rick for your critique.
Love how excited Rick gets over 45 year old music, the soundtrack of our youths.
Out of every band I've ever listened to and loved, the music of Steely Dan just gets deeper and deeper the older I get.
I totally agree. No other band does that for me.
Rick’s reactions are superb. Rick didn’t appear as enthusiastic when he did his recent Spotify pop review. You know where I’m going here.
Yea i've never seen him geek out over a Justin Bieber "composition"
😂😂
Totally agree, the 1970’s were so full of new, different, weird and wonderful bands that nothing was off limits.
Thats even moreso the case now, the main difference is you have to go looking on the internet, because you won't hear it on the radio. It should be illegal how radio is run, good lord, not only is it the same bands over and over, its the same SONGS over and over.
@@mikearchibald744 what's a "radio" 🤔
@@NotQuiteFirst LOL, believe it or not, its something that 85% of the population still listen to.
Regarding "OHHHHHHHH!!!!!", I heartily concur! Played the intro on an acoustic guitar I was checking out at a small music store - the owner kinda freaked and gave me a case for free just for that! :-D True story. I figured out a way to play it in first position including the root notes (such as on the polychords, fingering a D major shape while playing the bass note on the 6th string) - also, just where IS that drum fill at the end?!?! Been counting it for decades, Keltner is the mysterious wizard of time....Wonderful video!!!!!!
That is amazing! I would love if that happened to me
I'm pretty sure one of the fills is a partial quarter note triplet over beats three and four and the other is a slight ritardando leading to a slight fermata or ceasura then cymbal crash on four and "a tempo," back into the head, like Keltner just held back the rhythm section for effect, then boom, right back into the groove.
Man, it was great when great players actually played the parts with no click track.
@@davidcherry3107 , Showoff...
Love the breakdown and the enthusiasm for Steely Dan. To the average stooge they might say its elevator music, when in fact it is a complex music masterpiece.
I wish they would play Steely Dan in elevators. It would certainly lift my spirits.
@@alanwalton3322 And spirit the lift.I can't leave it alone .Stay cool
I could live in an elevator
I humbly accept my stooge status. I'm not really fond of that whole modern urban yuppie jazz thing. It would put me to sleep if I wasn't too stressed trying to tune it out. I was born in the 70s and love some of the music but there's a certain genre from it I just can't stand and they're part of it. I dunno what it's called but the Doobie Bros had a similar thing going on. I'm sure there's great musicianship there and all but it just doesn't send me. Actual elevator music is arguably worse but still. Dozens of mellow songs for aging Boomers to sell out to, that all sound the same... like Sunday afternoons at the wood-paneled college library waiting for your parents while they have dull conversations over microfiche..
Just a suggestion, though... maybe don't throw everyone who doesn't like what you like into the same pit together. Just because something is well crafted doesn't mean it has to have universal appeal. I don't call names every time someone doesn't love They Might Be Giants.
at least for me its the vocalist that ruins it, he's super boring boring and I also just don't like his natural voice on top lol
Newly retired when the pandemic hit, I knew I would be spending a lot of time at home, so I bought a kit and resumed drumming after 35 years. I needed a clear barometer of improvement, so I just started playing along with Steely Dan albums. I have played almost every day for nearly two years and am only now getting to the point at which I think I have a decent handle on their catalog.
Funny, we never thought the music was weird...it was just new and nuanced. Steely Dan's Aja allowed vivid dreams to enter your thoughts; Aja transported the listener to different places. Truly a masterpiece.
Exactly, not weird, it's called "original" using unique Harmony. Not like today's songwriters Adele, John Legend, Alicia, etc..
Yes…well said
I have always LOVED Keltner's drums on this tune. To call it "tight" is almost an understatement. Nothing superfluous, not flashy... just the perfect groove. This is one of those tracks I will never-ever-ever get tired of.
His snare lives on a planet of it's own...
Great song, yet I prefer the take on the live album with the GREAT Dennis Chambers on drums, it's slower with a really FAT Rhythm's Blues's vibe, it was supposed to be a Rhythm'n Blues's song anyway.
This is my favorite Rick Beato video in a long time. Pure joy.
Aja is such an absurdly great album. Could do a WMTSG about every song.
Every time SD comes on, I geek out in a similar manner, without any technical musical knowledge. So glad Rick is able to explain WHY I find SD so satisfying. Fagen and Becker are pure genius.
Rick! We need more "what makes this song great" videos, i really love your take on those songs and use those elements in my songs, really helps me with making music
4:22 sounds like the keyboard part at the beginning of Riders On the Storm by The Doors
This is my "go to" reference song for any new speakers, IEM's, or even if I move speakers. Love it as a song, but the recording is top notch, clarity, sound stage, everything is excellent. Those horns rise up from silence so well.
I would use the intro to Boz Scaggs' "Lowdown" as a reference for my sound system, listening particularly Jeff Porcaro's drum kit which was so well mixed. Steely Dan's records in addition to the superb musicianship and writing were very well produced. Of course Aja was one of my favorites. Every song sparkled like a jewel.
Mine is "Home At Last" from this album, the CISCO vinyl edition, mastered by Kevin Gray. But to be honest, it could be any song from that record.
Cousin Dupree. Great for referencing.
I do the same thing. Every studio, every sound system, I run this through it first.
So, this was the last track on Aja and probably the most overlooked (we all know about the perfection of the whole album). Yet, this song beats the snot out of any top 10 pop song today musically. Structure, complexity, originality, interesting, musicianship. Just stellar.
Rick, sometimes your musical abilities just crack me up. It's probably that it's so amazing I don't know how else to react. When you play the intro to Josie perfectly on guitar, and then end the intro by playing the little keyboard lick perfectly, my ears hear you making the exact right sounds, and my eyes can't fathom that you're just one guy.
So I have to laugh, and then tell you about it. So good it's hilarious.
I have always loved this song but the intro always felt a little uncomfortable to me until it slid into the smooth vibe of the song and I never knew why. Listening to you break it down solved that mystery for me. I really loved this segment today, Rick. Thank you.
It makes me nervous...🤪
When I think about it, it's like they were going for a "secret agent" vibe on the intro
@@braveswin1 Yeah that's true, Donald was heavily influenced by Henry Mancini
I'm surprised you were surprised, Rick. As always, the complexity and perfection of Steely Dan's tunes shine bright.
I feel very sad for those who've never experience the Steely Dan music world. You really just got to dive into it and listen. Awesome stuff.
Being a Brazilian musician, I don't find this intro weird at all, lol...great song, great groove, great feel, and Rick is a joy to watch! Keep up the good work my friend. We love you and today's musicians in the work need you!!!
The intro might be weird/unique musically, but I love it; Weird is in the ear of the beholder. Lol. I remember playing an old song around some friends. "Green Eyed Lady". I believe a song way ahead of it's time. One friend thought it was a "weird song". Not to my ear. In fact , just heard it again by Sugarloaf. It deserves to be in one of Ricks "What makes this song great" videos
How about Space Intro on Fly Like an Eagle?
Totes agree! Can’t get enough of what they do with the organ on that one.
Maybe it only sounds weird to peole who have deep music theory knowledge. For me, a music theory scrub, the intro sounds like it was supposed to sound like that
@@sushicat2601
wish I could go back and change that!
My Sugarloaf album skipped. For some reason I never exchanged it. 😎
LOVE IT when Rick gets his Steely Dan on (especially 12:57)!
I was looking for this comment 😂
Ooooohhh!!!
That track is class and I am going to have to get the boxed set of Donald Fagen albums on Vinyl and DVD as the album must sound great on a DTS system set to Neo.6:Music.
I swear that’s one of my favorite solos EVER! Walter absolutely showed he was just as good as Larry and Dean and was a master of economic playing and touch and feel.
Amazing song from an amazing Album album! Aja is the album that cemented my love of Steely Dan. That was back in the day when late-night DJ's would play entire albums. As soon as I heard Aja I rushed out the next day to get my own copy.
I think this might be a record for the number of times Rick goes "Oh!" in one video. 🤣
That's so great and funny see Rick Beato shouting "WOW" 🤣🤣🤣 on the best parts of the song... He really feels and have pleasure earing the notes and pauses lol... 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
This is one of my all time favorite tunes. I was in a Guitar Center auditioning a Martin D-28 acoustic dreadnought guitar under the ever watchful eye of a store employee. When he handed me the guitar I went straight into the intro and vamp of this song. The quizzical look on his face was priceless. He only knew me as a drummer, which made it doubly confusing for him.
Did you take it home? My one creative foray in woodworking was making a D-28 replica following Lynn Dudenbostel's 4-episode process on the DIY Network. 15 years later and it's hanging on the wall 6 feet from me right now.
@@MikesTropicalTech YES! I did buy the guitar. I love it. If I’m not playing it, I’m anxiously anticipating the moment I’m playing it again. Thankfully my wife plays as well, and we live in an area where people gather to play acoustic instruments almost every day. Music has been the foundation of our social life, Rick Beato has been an inspiration who has greatly expanded my abilities - not unlike a fine musical instrument.
@@gulfcoastbeemer Lucky you, good sir! I bet that Martin is heaven to play!
"OOOHHH That Fill!!" No one can say that quite like you, Rick! Thank you. Utterly brilliant break down of one of the all-time great songs.
I am an original generation Steely Dan fan, too. We never thought of them as a pop or rock group. To us they were jazz, almost fusion.
there are so many elements to a steely dan song that the backing vocals are often overlooked. i think most people know/can recognize michael mcdonald on his tunes and "the ladies" (leonhart, russell, mizelle) deservedly get the most props on theirs, but i think it's worth noting that timothy b. schmit is featured on this one!
After all these years I still get goose bumps when I hear this song. Steely Dan is like lightning in a bottle!
As per usual, you hit the nail on the head with your choice of music. Rock on!
Chain Lightning!
@@DrRetch
Oh, yeah baby!!!!
I think Beato needs to just spend a few weeks dedicated to just the Dan!
Rick, your pure enjoyment of music is a joy to watch. There are more killer chords in this old song than the entire 2023 pop40 list. They don’t write them like that anymore.
This is one of the greatest videos you’ve done so far.. Thank you for the chords at the bottom of the screen!! I love this.. Thank You, Rick!!
Actually liked this style of presentation. Easy on my eyesight.
That whole album is one of Steely Dan's towering achievements
A true masterpiece
Sure Peg is neato & Josie is groovy, but I wanna learn to work the saxophone & play just how I feel then drink Scotch whiskey all night long & die behind the wheel...
Naw, but yeah I'm 2 years 3 days sober.
One foot after the next...
Josie comes home
The F-sharp 5th sounds good not because of harmony or key or "chords", but because it is a resolution of the opening dissonance by stepwise contrary motion, the oldest method of dissonance treatment in the proverbial book. It's a matter of voice leading, of counterpoint, not of the labeling of "chords".
I love Steely Dan. Every song is a musical adventure.
I bought this album when it came out.
You could make an album comprised completely of the songs SD considered "album filler", and it would go platinum inside of a week.
damn youre old
Musical adventure is a good description.
@@richardcarroll9864 HE'S old? I first listened to this one in a van, on the road, doing the old Holiday Inn circuit back when you could make a pretty good living. Blew us away, of course. We ended up doing "Josie", "Charlemagne", a couple other Dan-isms. Almost made it worth dragging the KB Player's B3 around the Midwest for a few years.
Ahh, the 70s....
My brother and I were talking about what 10 albums should wash up when you're stranded on a deserted island. "Aja" was definitely on the list.
Nice. I was in a Steely Dan tribute band, so this brought back memories. Learning those Dan riffs, chords and solos has been the highlight of my musical life.
What could possibly be better than The Dan? How about Ricks enthusiasm, knowledge and skill pulling their songs apart. Just love watching these, it creates a whole new level of appreciation. Rick, can you get your forensics on to the very first chord in Only a Fool Would Say That.... it's genius.
Hey Rick! At10:10, don't forget about Keltner's overdubbed garbage can lid. They talk about it in the Aja documentary. It really makes that funky little section pop! As always, great video!
You always have a way of making songs better. I watch you play so many songs that I grew up liking and loving but after you break them down I appreciate them so much more. Thank you for all the work that you put into this. It really does make a difference for I'm sure a lot of us!!
Oh yeah, me too. I'm pretty sure is true for the most of viewers.
A terrific episode. Josie is my favorite Steely Dan song. Would love to see more programs about Steely Dan.
Yesterday we lost one of our greatest Polish jazz sax players and one of the godfathers of Polish jazz - Zbigniew Namysłowski. He was 82. It would be great if you'll take some time and listen to his records.
Btw. Josie is my favourite Steely Dan song. Keltner's drums are really killer.
What can I say, Steely Dan and Toto one of my favorites of all time. Not only what they're playing is unbelievable and complex but it's also the mastery of each musician and they way these songs were recorded and mixed and mastered. Just incredible sound and vibe throughout the whole Aja album. All these things came together to give us the excellence of what we just heard. I love it!
dreamsongs - Don't forget Ambrosia! If you don't have their first (eponymous) album, RUN, don't walk.
Toto hahahhahahaahhaa, u for real. Great pro's that made bland corporate rock, but hey we all got bills to pay.
@@fredshred5194 I'm not one of those people that try to figure out labels and categorize bands and artists to see in what box they fit in. I listen and if I like what I hear I buy the album, that's it. Hence why I have every single Toto and Steely Dan album among hundreds of others artists.
@@DreamsongsProductions Me neither, I just listened to the dross they made. How can a band with such talent produce that bland crap.
@@fredshred5194 But you're assuming that just cause you don't like them they're not any good. I personally haven't found too many musicians that don't like Toto in the last 30 years. No laws when it comes to taste...
Probably my favourite SD song. As for the weird intro, think Donald Fagan said in an interview this was influenced by Gregorian music and the verses are variations on the 12 bar blues.
I KNEW it was Josie..
I've always been taken by that seemingly discordant intro vamp. This track still slaps all these decades later.
Love your analysis as always Rick.
I love how this turned into a "What Makes This Song Great" video… would also like to hear Rick talk about the "mu major" chord (those slash chords are pretty similar).
Exactly what I thought
You probably have already but if not check out Adam Neely's video on the subject! Cheers!
Steely Dan is my drug of choice! I just adore watching you excavate the gold in these songs Rick. I'm not musical, I can't play anything but these videos sure make me wish I could. Your joy in these songs is infectious even for those of us can't read one musical note xxxx
This now rates as my favorite RB reaction to a song. I love how much fun you are having. The way you share your love of music, unfettered, is what has always drawn me to this channel.
@ewetytube
Right??? I LOVE RB!!!!
OOOHHh
I've never been a big fan of Steely Dan, but I've always recognized that they are a superb group of really excellent musicians. But your enthusiasm and analysis has made me appreciate this song a lot more.
It's two guys, Becker and Fagen and whole bunch of studio whales.
Oh yeah? I bet you like Cher then.
I knew the vultures would start to circle the second you said you've never been a big fan of Steely Dan. Calm down, folks. Rick is already heaping praise on your favorite, you can be gracious and accept that not everyone who doesn't like Steely Dan is some kind of devil. Cher indeed. Ugh.
Me, I can't stand Steely Dan or Cher. Shockingly, there are a lot of other kinds of music.
@@BeeWhistler I don't know why you even commented. Next time, keep your sh!t, negative opinions to yourself.
TC 4:12 That little piano lick on corresponds with the lick at the beginning of Riders On The Storm
There's another outstanding Walter Becker guitar solo in FM. Keep'em coming, Rick!
This is why I love Steely Dan. Their music is so thought provoking and complex. I actually thought you were going to play something like Blinded Me With Science. Not the least bit surprised that a Steely Dan song is being taught at Berklee.
"OHHHH!!" 😄loving Rick's enthusiasm pouring out for this track! I have no idea about the technicalities of the music (well, a lot more now...), but I've always enjoyed listening to Steely Dan too!
Steely Dan definitely has a sound. As a non-musician, I always instinctively knew it, but it's enlightening to see it defined by an expert.
Same here! I graduated high school in 1977; it’s fun to revisit the music of my youth as Mr. Beato explains why it’s so good.
This tune blew my mind when I first heard it back when I was a kid, growing up in rural NH. I remember thinking, "man, those are some wised-up cosmopolitan city slicker chords!"
I LOVE your analysis videos… especially this one. You’re so excited 👍🏾😆😎🙏🏾 thank you.
Without doubt my favourite band of all time. Aja a stone cold classic. Love the sardonic way that Donald Fagen writes songs.
Yesss especially on deacon blues
Actually Walter was the more sardonic of the two. The very thing that you don't really find in The Nightfly. Donald ipmlied after Walter's death that came from a hard childhood.
@@gregoryhenry8464 My favorite fadeout of all time. 💯